


A New Era

by Shadymissionary



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Bittersweet, Gen, Memories, New era, Rebellion, Revolution, Sad, Scary, Shudou, minister, world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-04 10:34:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20469596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadymissionary/pseuds/Shadymissionary
Summary: The revolution is over, and the world of Pokemon has changed forever. The Pokemon have seized power over the humans, but life goes on. Many glimpses are seen of the new life of humans and Pokemon alike...





	1. Recruitment

It was a gray, cloudy morning over Pallet Town. One barely noticed the rising sun. Kent woke up to the clanging of the town's bell. Like any child, he would have loved to ignore it and fall back asleep. But this was too important a day to do that. Slowly Kent rose up and got himself dressed.

Walking down the stairs of the small house for two, Kent saw that his mom had woken up early and made him the best breakfast she could. She was waiting for him at the table, her dusty quarry clothes on. She smiled warmly. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, mom." Kent sat down and ate his pancakes. They were dry - their small oven they had could only do so much – but Kent said nothing. For all he knew, this could be one of the last meals he had with Mom.

"I got your report all ready." Kent's mother displayed a small checklist attached to a loop of string. Kent's school marks in Agriculture, Engineering, History, Service and Medicine. Kent's marks weren't very high…he was an average student. But not too bad, which was cause for hope.

Now though, that part of his education was over. He had turned 10 a few months ago, and a messenger Delibird gave the family the notice. Today was the day. Soon a transport would arrive to take him to the old Pokemon Lab, where his future would be determined.

They both ate breakfast in silence. Kent's mother was optimistic, but Kent was very worried. What if the ministers heard about that…thing? What if Adan was right, and his next stop would be the…mines?

The transport would be a few minutes, so Kent turned on the TV. Something had to break the uncomfortable silence.

A Pikachu in rich, regal robes was signing a document with a quill pen. A Meowth in a simpler but stylish suit was standing beside him as a witness. A narrator explained. _"And here is the king's faithful aide, Lord Kachu, notarizing the document alongside his trusted friend and fellow advisor, Baron Kat. The treaty ended the horrific war, and ushered in a new era, full of hope for the future. Regarding the future peace, Lord Kachu had this to say. 'There have been many sacrifices made. Some have affected the king and I more than anyone suspects. But now we can look forward to peace and recovery, for the children of Pokemon and humans alike. Things have changed forever, there is no escap-'"_

Kent shut the TV off. He had seen this newsreel before.

The boy paced the floor of his house repeatedly. It was true what they said…the waiting was the hardest part. His mother watched, concerned as well. Lord Kachu's words rang in her head. "Things have changed forever." They had…she could remember when a time like this meant something entirely different to a child in Pallet town…

Finally, Kent voiced what was on his mind. "Mom, will they send me to the mines?"

Mom was shocked by the idea. "No! Of course not! What made you think that?"

"W-well, on our last history test last month, I said it was Lord Achoo and Adan laughed and told me I was mocking the rulers and they would send me overseas to the mines…"

His mother stopped him and looked him in the eye. "Listen, sweetie. They do not send anyone to the mines for that. No. You are not going to the mines. You are a good, smart kid. They only send criminals to the mines."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. You'll go somewhere better than the quarry. I know it."

A noise on the driveway alerted them to the fact a transport had arrived. Kent and his mother looked out. A grey bus with the words 'Recruiting Lab' on the side was waiting. It was for Kent.

In a way, they were glad the transport had arrived now, and not after the bus to the quarry took Kent's mother. Now she could see Kent off. She gave him a hug for good luck just outside their small home.

Kent took a deep breath and walked aboard the transport. The driver, a burly Machamp, closed the door and drove off.

Not all the children were as scared as Kent was. Some chattered excitedly. A few boasted they would work in some of the Minister's mansions. Most hoped they would go into their favorite vocation. Some were praying they could stay close to home, and others were eager to go overseas and see more. Adan saw Kent and smirked. Kent avoided the conversations and looked out the windows.

The passed by a thoroughly ruined Pokeball warehouse, long ago destroyed in the Pokemon revolution. Wretched men and women crawled through the wreckage, hoping desperately to find a ball that would make them masters again. Police Arcanine, Vigoroth and Skarmory chased them off repeatedly, but they always returned, clawing like rats at a dead past.

The Pokemon Centre, on the other hand, had been expanded and fixed up to the point where it looked like a shrine. The Pokeball symbol had been removed, of course. The building itself had been elevated. It had once been little more than a hospital, but now it served as custom apartments for Pokemon. Kent had gone in once on a Service assignment…even the smallest apartment was better than his home. In front of the building was a large statue. It depicted King Mewtwo, a powerful figure in armor and cape, holding his hand up in triumph. Beside him were Lord Kachu and Baron Kat, in similar poses.

The town's former Pokemon Lab had remained more or less untouched, a simple, large building. It had often be petitioned that the place and labs around the world be demolished, but Lord Kachu had held a referendum that declared the places be preserved, out of respect for the past era. It was a slim majority that voted them preserved. 

The children were ushered into the building by the driver, and went into a large room with a few windows, a handful of motivational posters to relax the children, and nothing else. The children were arranged in rows, facing inwards and standing straight. Kent made sure his report was around his neck and in full view. It was.

The Machamp counted them, smiled upon seeing no-one missing, and clapped twice as a signal.

From another room, a Grovyle, Monferno and Croconaw walked into the room, scanning the children quickly. A few of the boys and girls gulped nervously. A Graveler and an Electabuzz followed them in, wiping their mouths of the food they had just finished while waiting. All were wearing robes of different colors, with a badge that signified them as Ministers. The color of their robes decreed what they were minister of. Green was agriculture, red was excavation, blue was shipping, brown was architecture, and yellow was engineering. Kent noticed that the red-and-white cloak of medicine and the white robe of service were missing, but didn't say anything. It was impolite for humans to speak first in the presence of the ministers.

The Machamp greeted them all with a bow. "Honorable ministers. Welcome. Everyone is ready, as requested. Now…" 

He had a speech, but Grovyle, the minister of agriculture, stopped him. "Save it, please."

Electabuzz the minister of engineering agreed. "Think we all want this to be over quick huh?" Almost everyone present nodded. A girl nearly spoke, but saw Monferno watching her and buttoned her lip. The minister of excavation was in charge of the mines…the last thing anyone wanted was to make him angry.

The ministers walked around the room, closely surveying each and every one of the children. A child shivered in fright when Monferno took her report in his paw. Adan looked over at Kent and sneered. Kent bit his lip in fright.

Another lad gulped when Croconaw looked him over. The minister of shipping didn't just decide who would work at the docks and on the ferries and barges – he decided who would be sent to lands overseas. Croconaw looked closely at the report before moving to another prospect.

Machamp looked around, puzzled. "Where are the ministers of medicine and service?"

Graveler, who was the minister of architecture (he had sent Kent's mother to the quarry to collect building materials long ago) shrugged. "They said they wanted some fresh air and walked outside half an hour ago…"

Suddenly, a crazed man with a scraggly beard barged into the room, screaming at the ministers. "Your rule ends here!! I have two of your ministers and now I will have you all!" He raised a black-and-yellow orb in his hand…

The ministers were upon him in a second. The man never stood a chance- a thunderwave from Electabuzz and stun spores from Grovyle brought the man down, the Ultra Ball rolling from his hands. Graveler made sure it was empty before crushing it in his hand. Machamp held the man's arms to his sides as Grovyle took a belt with orbs attached from the screaming man.

"You freaks! YOU are the servants, not us! We were never meant to cower under you! I swear by all that's holy, this regime will end and when it does, we will crush you all like the insects you are, you ba-" The Machamp silenced him with one of his hands. "There are children present."

None of the children had moved. They had been warned long ago and many times about how any uprising against the Pokemon would turn out. Now they saw it firsthand.

The minister of agriculture took two of the ultra balls from the belt and tapped a button on both. Two beams of light came out, forming a Chansey and a Gardevoir, both bewildered and scared.

"Ministers of medicine and service, are you all right?"

The Gardevoir, longtime minister of service, nodded. "He ambushed us, we never saw those things coming." She described as she helped the minister of medicine to her feet.

Relieved, Grovyle handed the balls and belt to Graveler to be destroyed. The ministers all scowled at the struggling man. Monferno and Croconaw approached him glaring. Then the minister of excavation placed a red circle marker on the man's chest, with the minister of shipping adding a blue arrow marker. Those markers signified him for the mines overseas.

"Get him out of our sight." Monferno snarled. Machamp carried away the struggling man.

Grovyle turned to Gardevoir and sighed. "Least one every year."

"I'm just glad it wasn't one of the children this time."

Remembering the children, the ministers got back to surveying the children in the room.

Eventually, decisions were made for each future. Boys and girls were given markers designating their future work. A girl with a white marker was relived she was going into service, likely a maid to one of the barons or ministers. Hopefully not Monferno. Adan sighed resigningly at the brown marker signifying him for architectural work…either working at the quarry or building houses. A brother and sister smiled when they saw each other's green markers – they would be farmers together. Another lad cried quietly on seeing the blue arrow and red-and-white marker…work as a doctor in another country. He vowed to ask how to send the money to his parents.

Kent had shut his eyes in terror when he saw Monferno walk his way, and feared the worst when he felt a marker placed on his chest. He wouldn't open his eyes until he felt a thump on his shoulder.

"Be a man now." The minister of agriculture's voice chided him. Kent slowly opened his eyes to look at his marker.

It was yellow.

Kent whooped with relief. Engineering…probably factory work for him. And no blue arrow…he would stay near home. Kent smiled for the first time since that morning.

Like everyone else, Kent would go into a specialty school for a few years, learning the ins and outs of his job and finding what position he'd be best in. Then, barring any unforeseen changes, he would work there for years until he could retire. During that time, he would be accountable to the minister of Engineering, not to mention Lord Kachu and the King.

The children were led back out to the transport, to return home and discuss their futures with their parents. The ministers started to leave as well, but the minister of agriculture lingered behind. The minister of service returned and asked him why.

Grovyle motioned to the former Pokemon lab in general. "Years ago, when I was a Treecko, I was in this building, waiting to see what human child would pick me and decide my future."

Gardevoir smiled slightly. "Things have certainly changed, haven't they?"

"Yes, they sure have."


	2. Meeting

With the recruitment meetings complete for another year, the Pokemon ministers were eager for what would happen next. Aboard a luxury transport, reclining in the fine leather seats, they sped towards a colossal mansion, where they would have a hearty feast before their business discussion with the King and Lord Kachu.

Lord Kachu's home was the definition of regal splendor. At least a dozen of Kent's houses could fit into the area the mansion occupied. Statues of Palkia, Dialga and Arceus watched over a beautiful entrance garden, leading up to wooden doors with intricately carved murals of legends of the world. A small but gorgeous stained glass window depicted the owner of the mansion, the Pikachu in robes, Lord Kachu. And then there was the interior…

Grovyle rapped the door with the gold knocker, which was shaped like a Jigglypuff one was trying to gag. The door was quickly opened, and a young human with dark hair and glasses looked at the guests. Recognizing them, he bowed respectfully and called into the house.

"Lord Kachu, the ministers have arrived!"

"Thank you, Max. I will be down in a moment. Allow them in…and don't forget their cloaks."

Max obeyed, allowing the Pokemon ministers inside. They were greeted with an entrance hall larger than many human bedrooms. A lush carper warmed their feet, its design complimenting perfectly the works of art on the walls. A jeweled chandelier hung over the ministers head, and beautiful music sang throughout the halls from a phonograph. Steppe-like structures were strategically placed all around the mansion. The place required a lot of servants to maintain…which may have been the idea.

The young man Max relieved the ministers of their cloaks of office politely. The minister of excavation noticed the boy was wearing a respectable butler's suit. Many humans he had seen wore more…demeaning costumes, proclaiming their status as servants to the Pokemon. Monferno recalled with a low chuckle a friend of his who, having lost patience with a particularly belligerent human, forced the wretched man to go out in public naked and learn his place. In the opinion of the minister of excavation, Lord Kachu spoiled his workers.

Lord Kachu hopped down from the stairway and settled himself on one of the steppes. The Pikachu was small, and had the steppe structures placed so he could make eye contact with the ministers and servants. Nevertheless, small or not he held a lot of power and respect, both as the right hand of King Mewtwo…and as an incredibly strong electric Pokemon in general. The ministers all bowed to the Lord clad in robes.

"Welcome to my home, ministers. I'm glad all of you have arrived. I …heard of the ambush on two of you. I was concerned."

The minister of service rubbed the back of her neck. "We're fine, thank you milord." 

Lord Kachu smiled. "Good to hear. I've just been communicating with the King and Baron Kat. They are going to be late, but they permit us to begin. Max, kindly show the ministers to the dining hall, please."

"Yes, Lord Kachu." Max nodded and bid the Pokemon to follow him.

"I'll join you shortly…I need to get myself ready." With a nod, Lord Kachu bounded back up the stairs.

Following the small human to the dining hall, the ministers looked around at the artwork Kachu hung in his halls. Beautiful paintings depicting the legendaries; Articuno, Entei, Celebi, Jirachi, Shaymin, Darkrai. All in stunning realism. There was one of King Mewtwo as well, and a particularly epic piece depicting Lugia and Ho-oh. 

One painting in particular caught Monferno's displeased eye. It depicted Lord Kachu without his robes of office, surrounded by several young humans. A younger Max was there, as well as a girl with a red ponytail, an older boy with squinted eyes, and two other girls, one with a bandana and brown hair, another with a white hat and black hair. In the centre of the painting was a boy with proud, determined eyes, a red and white cap, a blue jacket and jeans, with Kachu sitting on his shoulder, smiling.

Monferno scowled at the picture. "Why does Kachu keep this picture up?" he muttered to Grovyle. "Why did he even have it painted?"

Grovyle cuffed Monferno slightly. "SOME of us have a healthy respect for the past. Now quiet."

Monferno hushed as they entered the dining hall. The table was carved oak, a huge thing to seat all the ministers. At the head of the table were three chairs, for the hosts. Max showed each of the ministers to their seats, which had been custom made for each specific minister. Once they were all seated, Max excused himself to inform Lord Kachu.

One of the girls from the painting, the one with brown hair, walked in carrying a large platter. "Lord Kachu will be another minute. Please avail yourselves with this for now."

Placing the platter on the centre of the table, she lifted the lid and revealed a salad consisting of rice cakes and gourmet balls of meat. The ministers helped themselves, all except for Monferno, who wouldn't touch the food on principle. It was based on the Pokefood the humans had fed them before the revolution. Back when they were servants for their games.

The others enjoyed the rice and meat immensely. The minister of architecture called out to the girl. "Delicious as always, May! Give my compliments to the chef!"

May smiled as she left the room. "I will tell Brock you enjoyed it, minister."

The ministers sat back in their seats, looking around the room. Another beautiful chandelier watched them from above. Around them were more paintings, abstract works of art depicting peace, hope and contentment. A record player played a wonderful composition by a famous Pokemon conductor, a tune the minister of engineering caught himself humming to. The minister of excavation tapped his silverware against his goblet impatiently.

Fortunately, the ministers did not have to wait long. Lord Kachu, in a slightly less fancy outfit for dining, walked into the room with a smile on his face. Beside him was the boy from the painting, the one with the cap. He was older now, but still looked like the child Kachu had sat on the shoulder of. Although his eyes were somewhat…blank compared to the picture. He wasn't wearing that cap, and seemed to have traded his jacket and jeans for a fine waiter's uniform. He was carrying a wine bottle and a jug of water. Lord Kachu hopped onto one of the seats at the head of the table.

He gestured to the boy. "Ash, please serve these ministers their drinks."

"Yes, milord." The young man walked around the table, asking the ministers if they wanted simple water or fine wine, and pouring the chosen drink into their goblets. 

Monferno sneered. "You still say 'please' to your humans, Kachu?" Kachu appeared not to hear the question.

Once all the goblets had been filled, the minister of shipping called a toast. "To our host, Lord Kachu!"

"To Lord Kachu!" everyone agreed, raising their glasses.

"To King Mewtwo!" Grovyle added.

"To the king!" everyone echoed.

"To Nido the great." Monferno noted quietly.

He had been quiet, but everyone heard him. Blank stares and a silence greeted him. Lord Kachu was apparently not amused.

Monferno shrugged. "You claim to a healthy respect for the past. Face it, Nido is the one who started the revolution. He made all this possible."

"True." Kachu would say no more on the subject, and there was a dead silence for a few moments.

Then a dinner bell rang, breaking the awkward silence much to everyone's relief. The three young ladies walked in, carrying colored platters of food for each of the ministers. Misty, May and Dawn placed the food in front of each of the respective Pokemon.

The minister of agriculture received the green platter, and the lid lifted to reveal a hearty salad. The minister of engineering ate into a spaghetti meal with fine cheese. The minister of excavation heated up his steak himself. The minister of medicine thanked Misty for handing her a yummy casserole. The minister of service was pleased with her pasta dish. The minister of shipping worked his strong jaws on a plate of well-cooked fish.

Lord Kachu had very simple taste in food, accepting a hamburger with plenty of ketchup on it. The only one with simpler taste was the minister of architecture…his plate was literally rocks, which he munched with relish.

The ministers cheerfully ate their dinner and the conversation resumed. The three girls left, while Ash stood dutifully by Lord Kachu.

The minister of agriculture asked, "What of the King and Baron Kat?"

Lord Kachu answered. "He was telling me that the minister of defense was insisting on an audience with him regarding this morning's incident." 

"Of course." The Electabuzz sighed. "That paranoid Skarmory sees a rebellion in every human too big for his shoes."

"He said they'd spend an hour or so pretending to listen to the poor bird and arrive as soon as they could." 

Croconaw cleared his throat and raised his glass. In a moment Ash was there, refilling the goblet.

"I don't see why we can't begin the meeting now." Grovyle remarked.

Lord Kachu bit into his hamburger, and waved his hand to say 'Alright'.

Chansey took out a folder she had been carrying. "According to my figures, things are actually very stable in most of the areas. Medicine, Architecture, Engineering…although I have to say, the service sector is a bit…overstaffed."

"It's the most respectable career to most of the humans. The children strive for it more, so we have a lot of applicants. Too many, we think." Gardevoir explained.

"You could always send the unneeded to the mines. We're a bit understaffed." Monferno suggested, only to be greeted by bad looks from the other ministers.

"We're trying to avoid that."

"I've heard a lot of horror stories about the mines from the quarry. They use them to convince the children to behave."

"I remember a couple weeks ago. Two women I was transporting to your mines threw themselves over the railing without lifejackets rather than disembark." Croconaw added. "They're terrified of the place, these humans."

"There's a lot of truth to those stories. I've seen those mines."

Lord Kachu made an announcement. "So have I and the king. We all agreed that those mines would only be for the criminals, not the children."

"True, but be realistic. The metals we need won't mine themselves." The minister of excavation explained.

"Couldn't you use more machines?" Ash suggested.

"Be quiet, human! You have no right to speak here! How dare you!" Monferno snarled, angry that the help had so much as opened his mouth in his presence. Embers appeared in his hands, ready to punish.

"Minister!" Gardevoir snapped, stopping him.

"Actually, he has a point." The minister of engineering remarked. "We could expand the engineering sector; use the surplus from the service sector."

While they were talking, Kachu looked at Ash and put a silencing finger on his mouth.

"And you must admit, minister, the mines would be more efficient."

That the minister of excavation did not argue. Instead he continued to glower at the young man who had spoken out of turn. "You really treat your servants too well, Kachu. They don't know their place."

Lord Kachu held his tongue, but someone hiding under the table would see that he was raking the underside with his claws. Just then, Max appeared and ran to Lord Kachu's side. "Lord Kachu, the King and Baron Kat have just arrived."

The Pikachu smiled. "They've arrived. If you will excuse me." Nodding and trying to hide his excitement, the Lord walked out to the front door.

Ash was about to follow, but the minister of excavation stopped him. "Come here, boy…"

Lord Kachu walked with a dignified grace until he felt he was out of eyesight of the ministers. Then he dropped on all fours and ran with all speed towards the entrance.

Waiting for him was Mewtwo and Meowth. Mewtwo had been convinced that a king's robes and outfit would properly communicate his authority to the humans as well as the Pokemon. So he wore a regal, simple but splendid set of armor imbedded with precious stones and a flowing cape, making him look every inch a king.

Baron Kat preferred to look like a classic 'cool cat'- a red-and-black tuxedo made him look like a genuine upper-class gentlemen. Fancy, but not as ostentatious as Mewtwo's armor or Kachu's robes.

"My king." Lord Kachu bowed low in deep respect to Mewtwo. Between him and the Baron, however, there was no show of formality.

"Heya, buddy! Good t' see ya!"  
"Good to see you too, Baron Kat!" Lord Kachu embraced his friend in welcome. "Or should I say, Meowth of Team Rocket?"  
"Meowth! Dat's right! Remember dose days?"  
"How could I forget?"

_AHEM_. A deep voice sounded itself in both of their heads. The king certainly didn't begrudge the two a happy reunion after months, but he was still here.

The Lord and Baron turned to the King and blushed. "Ah…my apologies, you majesty."

Mewtwo shrugged it off._ Do not worry. How goes the meeting?_

"Very well, actually. We began a little early. We're considering mechanizing the mines, other than that – Oh! My manners. Follow me to the dining hall."

The Meowth, Pikachu and Mewtwo walked through the hall of portraits towards the dining room. On the way, Lord Kachu stopped by the painting of himself, Ash, Misty, May, Max and Brock, from the days before the revolution. Baron Kat noticed him staring wistfully at the picture, and joined him.

"How could I forget?" The Pikachu sighed. "Seems like a lifetime ago now…"

"Back when I was always tryin' to grab youse?"

"Oh yes!" A smile returned to Kachu's face. "And I always sent you flying over the distant horizon. Heheh. By the way, how are Jessie and James?"

"Uh…" Meowth rubbed the back of his head. "Adjustin'. Alright but…we're kinda still getting used to this. It's been a real turnaround."

_For all of us, _ Mewtwo agreed.

Pikachu nodded. "Yes, a turnaround. Indeed." The three Pokemon continued walking towards the dining hall where the ministers were waiting. "I mean, could any of us have predicted all this? Any of this?" Lord Kachu looked at Baron Kat. "It's good to see that a few things haven't…"

Lord Kachu never finished the sentence. They had entered the dining hall, opening the door to an unexpected sight.

The orchestral piece from the phonograph had been replaced by a fast dance beat from a portable boombox. Being forced to dance by embers flung at his feet was Ash, wearing a ridiculous jester's cap with bells. The minister of excavation was firing the small bits of fire at the hapless human with sheer mirth. One of them hit him right in the foot.

"Hah! That's what you get for slowing down, servant! Dance! Faster human! Do as I say! Hahahaaa!"

The ministers who weren't chuckling had turned their heads away from the humiliating scene. The minister of engineering turned white when he saw Lord Kachu and the King. Baron Kat was about to laugh when he saw Pikachu quiver with sheer anger, a tic appearing in his eye. "Uh oh…"

A well-aimed ember hit Ash in the shin and tears appeared in his eyes.

BOOOOOooOoOooOoOM!

A well-aimed thunderbolt from Lord Kachu reduced the boombox to a sputtering wreck of plastic. Monferno turned to see a very angry Lord glowering at him. The rest of the ministers held their scared breath in the dead silence. Ash stopped dancing and tried to catch his breath, nursing his burnt shin.

Lord Kachu quivered with rage for a second, then, doing his utmost to remain calm, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Ash, you go to the infirmary. You're…excused from your duty for the night. Inform Max I want to see him. Go."

Ash obeyed, limping out of the room on a singed foot. Kachu approached the nervous Monferno and tapped him on the shoulder. "A word with you, Minister?"

The minister of excavation did not argue with the Lord in the presence of the King. The two Pokemon walked out of the room. At the door they encountered Max.

"Ah, perfect. You're assigned to Ash's…duties for the night. Begin by clearing up that mess, please. And turn the music back on."

"Yes sir." Max switched on the phonograph and began picking up the pieces of the boombox as Pikachu and Monferno walked out.

"I…I was just trying to teach him a lesson." Monferno attempted to explain as he and Lord Kachu strode through the halls of the mansion. Kachu walked beside him on one of the steppes, totally silent.

"I mean, really. He should've known better than to…You don't treat your humans like you should, you know that. They're spoiled, they don't know their role, their place…"

"You say that a lot…" Kachu finally growled."…but it seems you don't know your place, Minister."

"Huh?"

Lord Kachu whirled around and grabbed Monferno by the ears. Twisted them hard, the Pikachu brought the crying Monferno to his knees. Kachu's face was a mask of rage, reducing the minister of excavation to a cowering monkey.

"How dare you try to usurp my authority in MY OWN HOME!" Lord Kachu boomed. "Say what you will about how I treat…humans in my house. But they are MY servants. I command them, I punish them as I see fit, I am their master, not you! You do not have that authority here, minister or not! And furthermore, YOU - DO - NOT, TREAT THEM LIKE THAT!"

Monferno whimpered as Pikachu brought his furious face closer. "If this happens again, I'll have you removed of your position…and then some. Do you understand?"

The minister could only whine a quiet "Mm-hmm."

"What was that?" Lord Kachu started sparking his cheeks.

Monferno's eyes widened in horror. It was a legend among humans and Pokemon alike, Lord Kachu's electric power. Any creature knew of how the Pikachu had personally stopped the heartbeat of Nido the Great, despite his ground-type.

"YES I UNDERSTAND, LORD KACHU!" Monferno screamed in panic.

Somewhat satisfied, Lord Kachu released Monferno. The minister of excavation moaned in pain, rubbing his twisted ears. Lord Kachu walked back to the dining hall, with Monferno eventually following him.

Lord Kachu returned to his seat, beside King Mewtwo at the head of the table. "Now, where were we?"

The minister of excavation never said a word during the meeting.

Aside from the incident, the meeting went smoothly. The king approved of Electabuzz's proposal, and the minister of Engineering prepared to make the necessary arrangements. The minister of excavation just nodded.

Baron Kat saw them to the door with a wave and his signature smile. "See youse next year, let's hope! Say hello to the kids fer me! Ciao!" The ministers waved back as they boarded the transport that would take them to their own mansions. The king simply flew off to his home, the isolated New Island, where he could think.

Baron Kat walked back into the halls of the mansion where the Lord Kachu lived. He would join his own transport soon, but he felt that he should speak to Kachu first. He had asked for a minute alone once the meeting had ended, and he hadn't come back to see the ministers off.

Meowth saw the robes discarded in front of the portrait of Pikachu and the humans, and he knew exactly where he had gone.

The library of Lord Kachu's mansion was filled with books, most of which hadn't been read. Birch bookcases boasted classics written by Pokemon in the last few years, real classics from the human era, history lessons, and record books.

One of the books had the title 'Ashes to ashes: the tale of a champion.' No one had read it, or written it. Meowth touched it and pulled it out as far as it would go.

With a click, a bookshelf moved and revealed a hidden room, known only to the Baron, the Lord and likely the King. Meowth walked in, being sure to close the bookshelf after him.

The room had no masterpieces of art. The walls were covered in photographs of Kachu and the humans now living and working in the mansion. One of the walls had nothing but badges, ribbons and symbols on it, each one lovingly preserved. Charred remnants of three bikes had been placed in a glass case as mementos. A Pokeball, one of the few that hadn't been destroyed, sat on a red cushion in another small case. Newspaper cutouts describing past adventures were scattered around the room.

A large glass case held a clothing rack, where a red-and-white cap sat over a t-shirt, a blue jacket, fingerless gloves and a pair of jeans. Kneeling in front of it was Lord Kachu, stripped of his robes and looking like the wild Pikachu he had been in the beginning. Just like the Pikachu in all the pictures, sitting happily on Ash's shoulders.

"Like a lifetime ago…" Pikachu spoke airily, disproving Meowth's assumption that he had been unnoticed. The baron remained quiet.

Pikachu's eyes wandered around the memories placed around the room. Ash's first tournament battle with Pikachu. The tablet describing Ash as the chosen one. Bianca or Latias' picture of them both…"Do you remember how he was before…before all this?"

Meowth sensed he wasn't really being asked, but answered anyway. "Ow could I forget?"

"He was so brave…proud…strong…nobody told him what to do. Nobody…" A news still of Ash chasing after Entei. The denied request to become a Frontier Brain. The certificate from the Orange Islands.

Meowth had to be blunt. "Dose days are over, you know dat…"

Pikachu had tears in his eyes now. "I know, I know but…" Ash in his hero's costume. A recording of the radio drama he had appeared in. "…suh-seeing him…humiliated like that…I couldn't…" A picture of Ash with his now-deceased mother. "It was all I could do to keep from snapping that muh-ministers neck."

Pikachu got up and started teetering. Meowth approached his friend slowly. "Buddy…"

Ash in his pajamas, holding Pikachu for the first time in Professor Oak's lab.

The dam burst. Lord Kachu sobbed hysterically into Baron Kat's chest. Meowth didn't say anything, doing his best to comfort his friend. The eyes of the past watched the two in the room of bittersweet memories.

Kachu got his breath back. "We…we should've done something…"

"What could we have done?" Meowth was starting to cry now.

"We should've done SOMETHING! When it was starting! Maybe we could've…"

"Buddy…"

"He tried to do something it was just too late and we had to…too late…" May blowing out Max's birthday candles. Brock with his huge family. Dawn holding her contest champion trophy. Jessie and James' mug shots. "…now all we can do is hire them as servants so they have a roof over their heads and not go to the muh-mines…" Pikachu began crying again.

Lord Kachu cried until he fell asleep, and Baron Kat carried his friend out of the room. Luckily he ran into Ash just outside the library. His foot had been bandaged.

"Get Pikachu to his room, 'K?"

"Yes sir." Ash picked up Lord Kachu and carried his sleeping master to his bedroom. Pikachu smiled a little, reliving one of his favorite memories in a dream. Meowth shook his head sadly before walking out to his transport.

"Home, baron?" his chauffeur asked.

"Yeah, James. Home."

Meowth sagged in his leather seat as the transport began moving. Without noticing, he turned on the TV screen. What he saw was an image of himself, Lord Kachu and King Mewtwo in the pose they had used for the statues.

_"…and these three have led us out of a bloody civil war and years of unrest, into a shining new era of hope for Pokemon and humans alike. The future truly is bright."_

"I hope yer right." Meowth challenged the narrator as he shut the TV off. "Cuz if you ain't, we'll never forgive ourselves."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment, please!


	3. Dream Shop

"EM! HURRY UP WITH THAT FOOD!"

That was something Em had heard every day since the Pokemon Revolution had ended. It seemed as if it had been every day of her life…but the girl couldn't waste any time with reminiscing. The young cook quickly added the last ingredient to the stew and stirred rapidly, waiting for the telltale signs of readiness. She hoped they would show before the head chef bellowed again. That Wartortle had a good yell.

"Em, c'mon! Baroness Gorax isn't the patient type." The head chef stuck his blue head through the door, speaking in a somewhat more reasonable tone. "I'm not gonna lose my best customer because you couldn't…"

"It's ready, sir!" Grabbing a pair of oven mitts, she grabbed the side of the huge pot. It was a large load that would normally be considered too heavy for a girl her size to carry. But with a little effort, Em quickly waddled out of the kitchen and into the dining hall.

The dining hall at the Sinnoh Gourmand Emporium was a simple, lowbrow place compared to a lot of other Pokemon restaurants, but it was still the most luxurious place Em had ever seen. Each of the Pokemon customers had their own reclining chair and large table. The walls were a deep red color for hiding stains, and had multiple black and white pictures of food. They had originally been colored paintings, but one of the customers was kept waiting for so long he took a bite of the artwork. That was the incident that got the last cook expelled, and the rumors that circulated about what happened next…

She didn't have time to finish her thought before the pot was snatched out of her hands. Baroness Gorax lifted the pot to his mouth and the contents spilled into her mouth, droplets of stew dribbling down the Snorlax's mouth. The Pokemon placed the pot down, belched loudly and chuckled. She turned towards the head chef, smiling. "Delicious! You've done it again."

Wartortle smiled a practiced smile and gave a practiced reply. "Only the best for my customers, Baroness." 

Em, the person who had actually cooked the stew, was completely ignored. In another time and place, she might have been offended. But she was quite used to this, having worked in kitchens ever since the New Era had begun. Ever since she was a little girl.

Besides, she didn't have time to be offended. Another order rang in, and the girl hurriedly grabbed the stew pot and bolted back into the kitchen to finish the Minister of Agriculture's salad, serve up Duchess Delcatty's entrée, and get started on whatever the Earl of something wanted for dinner.

At the end of the day, a very harried Em said goodbye to her fellow cooks, who all walked off to their respective human dwellings. Not all of them were looking forward to returning to their homes. Em herself was in no hurry to get back to her condominium. In fact, she was keen on visiting somewhere else tonight. She locked up the kitchens and walked towards the back of the emporium.

The Head Chef was taking a swig with a few of his buddies inside the emporium's VIP room. Very Important Pokemon. No humans allowed. Recognizing that, Em stood by the doorway and rapped the wall beside her, being careful not to set her foot in the room.

At first, she wasn't heard or noticed. "So what'd this place used to be again?" a Noctowl asked aloud.

"Contest hall. You know, where we'd dance and sing and the _trainers_got all the credit if we was good and we'd get the blame if we got nervous and screwed up." A Hitmontop answered bitterly, spitting out the word human like a rancid piece of meat. 

"I dinnit know." A Spinda slurred. "I dinnit never thee a contetht. Not never, ever. Jutht battleth. Were they like battleth?" The Spinda had had too much to drink; Em could smell the fermented berries from where she was standing.

"Eh, might as well have been. I got stuck doing this triple-double kick combo, well doing ain't the right word, I couldn't do it an' my _trainer_always took it out on me, whammo. I ain't sorry he's gone."

"What happened to him?"

"Who cares?! All I know, first time Nido's recruiters came 'round, I said sure thing, I'm in, tell me who t' kick in the face, long live the revolution!" 

Em cringed at the mention of the Nido and the war. It had begun when she was a little girl, she remembered all too well.

Hitmontop continued boasting. "Ya know, I once split a _human's_..."

"Let's not talk about the war over drinks, boys." Wartortle interjected.

"He'th right, y'know, he'th right. Dinnit wanna talk about the war neither. Y'know, it wath Kachu who…y'know." Spinda let out a loud hiccup.

Just then Noctowl noticed the girl in the doorway. "Should she be here?"

Em found all the eyes of the drinking party fixed on her. Wartortle rapped himself on the head for forgetting something. Hitmontop glared ferociously at the human girl, bolting out of his seat.

"No, she shouldn't! No _human_ should be in here, I'll triple-double-kick her out like a…!"

"Hey!" Wartortle stopped his drunken friend. "She's one of mine. I forgot to give her the day's pay. It'll just take a second. You don't hurt one of my humans, bucko."

"Bethides, she innit in. Thee, her feet dinnit crothh the door. I can thee that, you can thee that, we can thee that, th-he can thee that." Another hiccup.

Hitmontop grudgingly sat back down, still glaring at the human. Wartortle calmly walked over to Em and took out a bundle of cash from his briefcase. "Here you go."

It really wasn't much by anyone's standards, but for Em it was enough. Especially tonight. Em nodded and smiled politely at her boss.

"We shouldn't be payin' 'em, did they pay us, no no no, they don't deserve to get paid…" Hitmontop sullenly muttered.

"Shut up." Wartortle silenced him.

"Yeah. Thhut up."

Wartortle turned back towards the girl. "You're not always this vigilant about pay, Em. I used to pay you the day after, and you didn't mind. What's the occasion?"

"It's a special night." Em thanked her boss and walked away, leaving the Wartortle to return to his drinking buddies.

"Where do humanth go anywayth, with their pay?"

"Who cares, the dump for all I care, or maybe one of those stupid memorials, why'd they let them build it?"

"Let's talk about something else, boys."

Wrapping her coat around her for warm, Em trudged through the back alley purposefully. Before she had set out, she had recounted the money she had saved up to that day. It was enough for tonight. Walking past the posters of Kachu, Kat and Mewtwo, the girl headed for a darkened door in a distant wall. She had been given the location and password for this place months ago by a coworker. Em had initially scoffed at the coworker, but now here she was.

Looking around for a brief second to make sure nobody was watching her, Em rapped on the door at the end of the alley. A slide opened and two eyes glared at her. "Password?"

Em recited the password in a practiced tone. "One cannot survive by dreams, but one cannot live without dreams."

That seemed to satisfy the eyes. The shutter clicked shut and the door grudgingly clicked open. Em slipped through the doorway as quietly as she could. A Hitmonchan doorPokemon swiftly slammed the entrance shut behind her. "First time?" it asked in a gruff voice.

"Y-yes." Em answered.

One of the Hitmonchan's fists pointed in a specific direction. "Desk's that way. Should see the prices and the rules somewhere. Read the rules. Don't cause any trouble. You'll never be back in again, I never forget a face. Capishe?"

"Capishe." Em answered. The doorPokemon gave something resembling a smile and then turned it's attention back to the door, waiting for the next visitor. A book custom-made for it's hands was brought out, and then it was like Em wasn't there anymore.

Em realized it had other things to do than talk to her, so she promptly walked away in the direction Hitmonchan had pointed her.

Em gazed at her new surroundings in bewildered awe. From outside, the building looked that a nondescript warehouse. Inside was a different story. Em walked down the carpeted hallway, listening to the noises of this place's customers. She quickly found out she could see the customers, through the one-way mirrors on each side of the halls. The girl guessed the management installed them to make sure customers got their money's worth.

At first glance, the human customers seemed to be doing nothing but talking to themselves in spartan rooms, with a Pokémon watching them with amusement. But Em could tell what the people were dreaming from what they were saying.

One man was imagining he was the manager of a successful business empire, and the Hypno that was with him was making that dream a 'reality'. A Mismagius in another room was helping a woman emulate her fantasy of being in a fairy tale. A lad was giving the beatdown on a bully with the aid of a Noctowl's hypnosis. And most interesting of all, a larger room showed two girls facing each other in a curious combat. Em figured they were dreaming of having a Pokémon Battle, something she had only heard about.

That was what this place was…a dream shop. For a price, a Pokémon with hypnosis or illusion capabilities would help you experience any dream you desired. Being rich and successful, being inside your ultimate fantasy, reliving a favorite memory or indulging in the illegal practice of Pokémon battles and contests…all of that could be done here if you had the money. Em fingered the inside of her pocket to check. She should have enough money.

At the end of the hall was a desk, and sitting at the desk was a Ludicolo on the phone. Em would've expected a line, but there was no person near the desk at the moment. That was fine with her.

The Ludicolo chattered on the phone line, not realizing she was there. "Look matey, I know how you feel about battle-dreams, but they're our biggest seller. All these humans want to be trainers again, even if just fer a night. Yeah, I know. Will you stop whining? It's good money. Sometimes I even lose count of a night's take. Would ya rather have 'em act out these fantasies on the street, with real Pokeballs? Yeah, ya heard me, there's still some floating around. Personally, I'd rather…" Just then, the Ludicolo noticed Em standing by his desk. "Just a sec, I got a customer."

The phone went click, and the Ludicolo put on his biggest smile for Em. "Welcome! First time, eh?"

Em gulped. "Uh…yes." She deposited the money she had been saving for a month onto the desk. "This isn't much, but I only need a minute long one."

The Ludicolo's smile broadened. "Alrighty then. Here's the rules. Number 1) what happens here stays here. Number 2) nothing…physical, if you know what I mean. Number 3) the dream ends when it ends. Got all that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." The Ludicolo turned to some sort of roster. "Now, all the hypnotists have clients tonight, it's pretty busy now. You'll have to make do with an illusionist, so be specific with what you want. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." Em had prepared for that. All the stuff she needed was in her backpack.

Ludicolo pressed a button on the pager on his desk. "Ok, you're in room 116. Your dream aide's name is Illustius. Now, if you'll excuse me, I got a call." The phone was back in Ludicolo's hand in the blink of an eye. Then the Pokemon remembered something. He grabbed half of the bills and winked at Em. "Keep the rest. First-timers get a discount. Just remember you ain't a first-timer after tonight."

"I got it. Thank you." Em took back her money and walked away. The Ludicolo resumed his conversation, arguing about the ethics of battle-dreams with whatever malcontent was on the phone.

_Room 113…114…115…116. _Em arrived at the door the Ludicolo had told her about. Taking another deep breath to compose herself, the girl stepped into the room where her dream aide was waiting.

Illustius was a Zoroark, a tall female who was impatiently drumming her claws on the wall when Em walked in. The Zoroark sighed aloud on seeing the human walk in. "Finally, my last customer."

Em shrugged slightly, and set down her backpack. Illustius blinked at the girl rummaging through the sack. "What are you…?"

Em found what she was looking soon enough. Out of her backpack she produced a picture, a voice recording and a note. The girl promptly handed it over to a slightly bewildered Illustius. The Zoroark blinked and looked at all the stuff. Then she chuckled slightly. "Didn't think you could put it into words out loud, eh?"

Em shook her head. She had figured that she would get too emotional to be coherent if she described what she wanted out loud, so she made a note explaining what her dream was to be about. The girl gulped in anticipation.

Illustius looked over the note, and her smirk disappeared. She glanced at Em with eyes that were more sympathetic than the Pokemon would like to admit. Shaking her head clear, Illustius took a long look at the picture and listened to the recording carefully. Em waited as patiently as she could.

Eventually the dream aide looked at Em, motioning for her to turn around for a second. Em shivered in strange anticipation as she obeyed. The girl bit her fingernails for a second, trying to clear her mind so she could get the most of this.

"Em?"

It wasn't Illustius' voice anymore. Em whirled around to see a tall man standing beside a thin, beautiful woman. Both of them were smiling at her warmly. All three of them were standing in a large field filled with flowers of all colors.

"Mom! Dad!" Tears appeared in Em's eyes as she ran towards them. The girl wasted no time in embracing her long-lost parents. The parents she had not seen since the Pokemon Revolution, since she was a little girl.

Wrapping her arms around her mother, Em lost all of the composure she had spent years perfecting. "I…I missed you suh-suh-so mu-huhuhuch…I…I…"

She felt the warm arms of her mother enfold her. "Shhhh. It's alright."

Em still cried, overcome with emotion. Dream or not, she needed this, she had needed this for a long time. "I…I love you."

"We love you too. We always have, and we always will, Em."

For the first time in a very long time, Em smiled.

Anyone looking in through the one-way mirror would've seen a Zoroark hugging a crying girl, staring at the distance with melancholy eyes. Illustius let out a sad sigh, and patted the girl on the back reassuringly.

The human had only paid for a minute, but her dream aide was in no hurry to wake her up.


End file.
